Learning and Memory

The Operant Conditioning Wall for Automated Cognition Testing in the Home Cage.

Modular Innovation, Streamlined Experiments, and Stress-Free Learning

The Operant Wall, featured in PhenoMaster, is a unique integrated into metabolic home cage, operant testing platform available. Conduct fully automated operant conditioning experiments without user interference, ensuring no stress for the animal, thus preserving learning performance and data integrity. The homecage setup is ideal for extensive, long-term experiments, enabling more trials per animal and facilitating circadian analysis of learning abilities. Additionally, it streamlines the experimenter’s workload and conserves valuable laboratory space. Operant Walls for rats and mice are customizable from hardware modules tailored to individual tasks. The system offers unparalleled versatility, whether studying motivation, attention, impulsivity, or conducting simple learning tasks.

Smart Tools for Smart Research

Minimal human interference

Increased habituation and learning speed

Long-term self-motivated learning

Reduced anxiety and stress level

Customized test protocols with the powerful Operant Behavior software

Circadian screening of learning abilities

Tailor-Made Operant Walls

Construct a highly adaptable operant wall system precisely aligned with your research requirements. Our extensive selection of modular components empowers you to configure the ideal setup for your specific behavioral experiments.

Reward Versatility: Seamlessly integrate food or liquid reward dispensers, facilitating efficient protocol switching between sessions.
Precise Delivery Systems: Utilize ultra-precise liquid dispensers, suitable for both oral and intravenous drug self-administration studies.
Suitable for Diverse Tasks: Select a range of operant modules like nose-pokes, levers, and LED lamps. These modules provide precise control over stimuli presentation and response recording, allowing you to design complex learning tasks.
Enhanced Motivational Cues: Integrate PhenoMaster food and liquid containers in conjunction with access control units. Restricting access prior to experiment initiation demonstrably increases subject motivation for reward acquisition.

Empowering diverse behavioral research, this operant wall fosters customized testing environments.

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We Bring Experiment to the Animal

Animals adapt to the Operant Wall much quicker than to Standard Skinner boxes. This reduces the duration of the experiment

Independent operation in all Operant Wall units – animals can proceed through complex multi-step paradigms at their speed

High level of flexibility regarding generation of experimental tasks – easy-to-use graphical user interface – no programming knowledge required

Long-term experiments allow accurate circadian performance analyses

High-throughput multi-cage setups – reduced workload for the experimenter

Combine respirometry for cognitive testing in metabolic research – unique on the market!

Publications

Andreev-Andrievskiy, A., Dolgov, O., Alberts, J., Popova, A., Lagereva, E., Anokhin, K., & Vinogradova, O. (2022). Mice display learning and behavioral deficits after a 30-day spaceflight on Bion-M1 satellite. Behavioural Brain Research, 419, 113682.

Balzani, E., Falappa, M., Balci, F., & Tucci, V. (2018). An approach to monitoring home-cage behavior in mice that facilitates data sharing. Nature Protocols, 13(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2018.031

Delbès, A.-S., Castel, J., Denis, R. G. P., Morel, C., Quiñones, M., Everard, A., Cani, P. D., Massiera, F., & Luquet, S. H. (2018). Prebiotics Supplementation Impact on the Reinforcing and Motivational Aspect of Feeding. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 9.

NAPE-PLD in the ventral tegmental area regulates reward events, feeding and energy homeostasis. (2023, September 20).

Plank, A.-C., Canneva, F., Raber, K. A., Urbach, Y. K., Dobner, J., Puchades, M., Bjaalie, J. G., Gillmann, C., Bäuerle, T., Riess, O., Nguyen, H. H. P., & von Hörsten, S. (2018). Early Alterations in Operant Performance and Prominent Huntingtin Aggregation in a Congenic F344 Rat Line of the Classical CAGn51trunc Model of Huntington Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00011